Truss.



0. A. SHIPLEY.

TRUSS.

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1,21 1,250. Y I Patented Jan.k2, 1917.

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0. A. SHIPLEY.

THUSS.

APPLICATION m50 Aumzs. me.

1,21 1,250. .Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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TRUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 91?.

Application filed August 29, 1916. Serial No. 117,412.

'o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, OSCAR A. SHIPLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rahway, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Trusses; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom-y tion has references, more particularly, to a novel construction of truss compressing pad and mounting therefor.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide av novel construction of` truss compressing pad which is not only adapted to provide adequate pressure upon the hernia swelling to reduce the same, but is also constructed so as to be capable of slight resilient movements or yieldability, in various directions, under ordinary bodily stresses and movements without interfering with yits normal compressing functions, thereby rendering the truss readily adaptable to the peculiar position of the hernia swelling to which it is applied, and adding greatly to the comfort of the wearer thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and easily adjustable novel means for mounting the compressing pad upon the truss frame.

Other objects of the present invention, not at this time more particularly enumer ated, will be clearly understood from thef following detailed description of the same.

With the various objects of my present invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel construction of truss herein after set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the several novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in detail in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of said, specif'ication. i

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the novel construction of truss made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail top edge view of-the same, the rearward portions of the truss frame being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal vertical section of the novel compressing pad, taken on line 3-3 in said Fig. 2, said View being drawn on an enlarged scale, and certain interior parts being shownin elevation. Fig. 4is a similar longitudinal vvertical section of the novel compressing pad, this view showing all` the interior parts in section. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of said novel compressing pad, taken on line 5-6 in said Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow m. Fig. 6 is another vertical cross section of said novel compressing pad, taken on said line 5-6 in said Fig. 3, but looking in the direction of the arrow y. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinalY section similar to that shown in Fig. 4, but illustrating the axial yielding movement of said novel compressing pad. Fig. 8 is another vertical longitudinal section similar to that shown in Fig. 4, but illustrating certain movements of said-novel compressing pad. Fig. 9 is a face view ofsaid novel compressing pad, Ithe same illustrating the lateral yielding movements thereof about its axis. Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts. 1

Referring now tosaid drawings, the refoscillatory yielding erence character l 'indicates the usual truss frame, the arms of which' are bowed rear. wardly, and which possess the usual springlike characteristics enabling the same to be spread to -pass the' truss frame about the body, and then to spring together to clasp or embraceY the body in the usual' Y manner. Said v arms, of the truss .frame may be covered with the resilient covering 2, to render the contact of the same with the body comfortable. f Connected with the' tend a pair of parallel carrying rods 5, spaced one above the other. Said carrying rods 5 are inclined outwardly from their ends toward their center portions, for the purpose of properly directing a compressing pad toward either the left or right sides of the body, or both sides of the body, as the case may require.

Slidably disposed upon said carrying rods 5, so as to embrace the same, is a yoke-member 6, the walls of which are provided, intermediate of said carrying rods 5, with screw threaded openings, into which may be screwed the screw-threaded shank 7 of a supporting stem 8, which is thus caused to project inwardly from said carrying rods 5 towardV the body of the wearer of the truss. Arranged upon'said screw-threaded shank 7, so as to be respectively disposed upon opposite sides of said yoke-member 6, is an inner lock-nut 9 and an outer lock-nut 10. The said respective loclrnuts 9 and 10 are screwed home against the yoke-member 6, and thus serve to lock the stem 8 in proper position against turning relative to said yoke-member 6, and at the same time, by pressing inward the opposite faces of said yoke-member 6, serve to bind the same immovably in desired adjusted position upon said carrying rods 5. |The free end of said supporting stem 8 is provided with a receiving-socket or longitudinal opening` 11, and.

formed upon said stem 8, so as to be spaced back from the free end thereof, is an annular shoulder 12, the rear side or face of which is rounded off to provide a ball-like bearing surface 13.

rlhe reference character 14 indicates a compressing pad shell or body-portion, preferably made of light weight metal, such as aluminum, although the same may be constructed of any other material desired, which provides a proper shape-giving body or foundation to the compressing pad. Said shell or body-portion 14 may be constructed to provide a-ny desirable shape or conformation suitable to the purposes of the compressing pad. Said shell or body-portion 14 is also constructed to provide an interior chamber 15 open at the back thereof. Secured to said shell or body-portion 14, preferably as an integral part thereof, so as to extend rearwardly from the back thereof through its chamber 15, are a pair of posts 16 provided in their free ends with longitudinally disposed screw-threaded openings 17.

The reference character 18 indicates a back-plate, the same having an opening 19 through which said supporting stem 8 eX- tends, and surrounding said opening is a concave-convex portion 2O outwardly pressed from said back-plate, the inner surface of which provides a socket bearing 21 adapted tol operatively seat itself against said balllike' bearing surface 13 of said shoulder 12 of the supporting stem 8. Fastening screws 22y pass through said back-plate 18 and screw into the openings 17 of said posts 16, and thus serve to retain said back-plate in proper' assembled relation to said shell or body-portion 14. Secured to the wall of said shell or body-portion 14, so as to project rearwardly therefrom into the interior chamber 15 thereof, in a centrally located position, is a guide-pin or stud 23, the free end of which is normally positioned at the entrance of said receiving-socket 11 of said supporting stem 8. Said shell or body-portion 14 is resiliently or yieldably secured to the inner end of said supporting ystem 8 by means of a volute or conical spring-member 24, the large end of which bears against the wall of said shell or main-body 14, and is so secured by passing a centrally disposed transverse terminal arm 25 thereof through the body of said guide-pin or stud 28. r1`he opposite or small end of said volute or conical spring-member 24 terminates in a hugging-convolution 26 which embraces the inner end of said supporting stem 8 forward of the annular shoulder 12 thereof, said hugging convolution 2G terminating in a longitudinally and rearwardly extending terminal arm 27 which is engaged in a receiving opening 28 suitably formed and positioned in the forward face of said annular shoulder 12 of said supporting stem 8. The free or body contacting surface of said shell or main-body 14 of said compressing pad, may be covered with any suitable material desired, to render the contact thereof with the skin of the wearer of the truss comfortable and non-abrasive. Some of the materials which may be used for this purpose are, soft or hard rubber, leather, woven fabrics, chamois, and the like. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings said shell or main-body 14 is provided with a flexible covering 29, the marginal edges 30 of which are drawn and gathered over the periphery of said shell or main body before securing to the latter said back-plate 18, so that when said back-plate is secured in place its edges or perimeter will engage the marginal edges 30 of said covering 29 and firmly bind the same between said perimeter of the backplate 18 and the periphery of said shell or main body 14, thus retaining said covering 29 properly stretched over the face of said shell or main body, and securely held against accidental displacement therefrom. If it is desired a mass of soft padding material 31, of any kind, may be interposed between said covering 29 and said shell or main-body 14, as shown.

Having thus described the detail construction of my novel truss and compressing-pad therefor, l will now point out its novel features relative to its practical operation when applied to a hernia swelling by its wearer.

In the first place, after the truss frame has been fitted to the wearers body, the compressing-pad may be positioned, by shifting the same upon the carrying-rods 5, to properly locate-the same in the exact position required to apply its'pressure to the hernia swelling, and when such hernia. swelling is in the groin, the stem 8 may be turned axially to such position that the volute or conical spring-member 24: connected therewith is turned to normally hold the compressing-pad in such longitudinally oblique disposition as will best adjust the pressure of the same upon the hernia swelling. The inclined disposition of the carrying-rods 5 tend to further aid in directing the compressing-pad properly toward the body of the wearer and directly against the hernia swelling, by holding the same in laterally inclined position, and thus accommodating the same more accurately to that portion of the plane of the body in which the hernia swelling appears. T he compressing-pad being thus accurately fitted to exert its normal pressure against the hernia swelling to re-V duce the latter, the volute or conical spring 24 retains the same in such normal position, but nevertheless permits of a slight yieldability or resiliency thereof while so held. The volute or conical character of the springmember 24 permits this yieldability to be exerted in any direction, consequently when the wearer of the truss makes sudden movements, coughs or sneezes, etc., whereby sudden muscular stresses and bodily movements result, the compressing-pad will yield slightly to such stresses or movements without being displaced from its proper relation to the hernia swelling. Thus the wearer is relieved from the pain and irritation 0rdinarily caused by the sudden thrusting of the hernia swelling against an unyielding hard compressing-pad, which thrust is pro'- duced as a result of the sudden muscular stresses and bodily movements above mentioned, and a comfortable and yet perfectly efficient operation of the compressing-pad is provided.

By an inspection of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 it will be apparent' that my novel compressing-pad is capable of the above mentioned resilient movements or yieldability in practically all directions.

In Fig. 7, the compressing-pad is illustrated as yielding in the direction of the axis of said supporting stem 8, due to the axial compression of they volute or conical spring-member 24.

In Fig. 8, the compressing-pad is illustrated as yielding in an oscillatory manner relative to the supporting stemv 8, due to the lateral tortion 0f the volute or conical spring-member 2li, whereby the socket-bearing 2l of the back-plate 18 is permitted to rock or oscillate in any direction upon said ball-like bearing surface 13 of the supporting-stem 8 as a fulcrum. In Fig. 9, the compressing-pad is illustrated as yielding in a rotary manner relative to the supporting stem 8, due to the twisting tortion of the v0- lute or conical spring-member 211. Of course, it will be clearly understood that the separate yieldable movements thus shown for purposes of illustration, may in actual operation be combined or produce together a single yielding movement which is a composite of those illustrated, consequently it will be apparent that the compressing-pad will readily and easily yield to the force of muscular stresses or bodily movements in whatever direction said force is applied or transmitted to said compressing-pad.

Of course it will be further understood that in the case of double hernia two of my novel compressing-pads may be arranged upon said carrying-bars 5, as needed.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the several arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts of my present invention, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of said invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the claims appended hereto. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in the foregoing specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim l. In a truss, the combination with a truss-frame of a supporting-stem, a hollow compressing-pad body, a back-plate secured to said body having an opening through which said supporting-stem passes, said back-plate having a socket-bearing concentrically disposed about said opening, an annular shoulder upon thel inner end of said supporting-stem provided upon its rearward side with a ball-like bearing surface receivable in said socket-bearing, the inner end of said supporting-stem having a longitudinally extending receiving-socket, a guide-pin secured to said body and directed rearwardly toward said supporting-stem so as to be receivable in said receiving-socket, a conical spring-member surrounding said guide-pin and the inner end of lsaid supporting-stem, a diametrically disposed terminal arm connected with the large end of said spring-member adapted to be passed through said guide-pin, a hugging convolution connected with the small end of said springmember adapted to embrace the inner end of said supporting-stem, a longitudinally projecting terminal arm connected with said hugging convolution, and said annular shoulder of said supportng-stenz;l having an opening therein adaptedy to receive said longitudinally projecting terminal arin.

2. In a truss, the combination with a truss-frame of horizontal carrying-bars connected therewith, said carrying-bars being inclined outwardly from their ends toward their central portions, a yoke-piece slidably supported upon said carrying-bars having screw-threaded openings therein, a supporting-stein having a screwthreaded shank engageable in said openings of said yokepiece, lock-nuts on said shank adapted to engage opposite sides of said yoke-piece, a compressing-pad, and means for yieldably connecting said compressing-pad with said supporting stern.

3. In a truss, the combination with a trussnfraine of horizontal carrying-bars connected therewith, said carrying-bars being inclined outwardly from their ends toward their central portions, a yoke-piece slidably supported upon said carrying-bars hav-ing screw-threaded openings therein, a supporting-stem having a screw-threaded shank engageable in said openings, of said yoke piece, lock-nuts on said shank adapted to engage opposite sides of said yoke-piece, a hollow compressing-pad body, a back-plate secured to said body having an opening through which said supporting-stern passes, said back-plate having a socket-bearing concentrically disposed about said opening, an annular shoulder upon the inner end of said supporting-stem provided upon its rearward side with a ball-like bearing surface receivable in said sockethbearing, the inner end of said supporting-stem having a longitudinally extending receiving-socket, a guide-pin secured to said body and directed rearwardly toward said supporting-stein so as to be receivable in said receiving socket, and a spring-means interconnecting said body with said supporting-stern.

In testimony, that I claim the invention l set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August, 1916.

OSCAR A. SI-IIILEY. lVitnesses FREDK C. FRAENTZEL, FREDK I-I. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

